Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg kommer så tidlig som mulig fordi det ofte er kø ved rulletrappen. - I arrive as early as possible because there is often a queue by the escalator.

så + adjective/adverb + som + mulig Examples: så fort som mulig (as fast as possible), så snart som mulig (as soon as possible). With mulig, you use så ... som, not like ... som; so say så tidlig som mulig, not like tidlig som mulig.

Can I say tidligst mulig instead of så tidlig som mulig?

Yes. Tidligst mulig (earliest possible) is a concise alternative and is common in instructions or notices. Nuance:

så tidlig som mulig feels neutral and conversational.
tidligst mulig can feel a bit more compact/formal or “notice-like.” Meaning-wise they’re equivalent in most contexts.

Why is it present tense kommer if I mean a future action?

Norwegian often uses the present tense for near-future plans or scheduled actions. Jeg kommer ... can mean “I’m coming/I’ll come.” You could also use:

Jeg skal komme ... (I will/shall come) — more of a promise or arrangement.
Jeg kommer til å komme ... — grammatical but clunky and rarely used here.

Could I use ankommer instead of kommer?

Ankommer means “arrive” but is formal and used for timetables/announcements (trains, flights). In everyday speech, kommer covers “come/arrive.” So here, kommer is the natural choice.

What’s the difference between fordi and for meaning “because”?

fordi is a subordinator introducing a subordinate clause: explanatory cause. No obligatory comma before it, and it triggers subordinate clause word order.
for is a coordinating conjunction (“for, because”) that links two main clauses; it always takes a comma before it and keeps main-clause word order. Example alternatives:
..., fordi det ofte er kø ...
..., for det er ofte kø ... (comma required before for)

Why is it fordi det ofte er and not fordi er det ofte?

In Norwegian subordinate clauses (after fordi, at, som, etc.), the finite verb does not take the second position. The typical order is: Subject + (adverbs like ikke, ofte) + Verb. So: fordi det ofte er kø, not fordi er det ofte kø. In a main clause you’d say: Det er ofte kø. (V2 = verb in second position.)

Do I need a comma before fordi?

Both with and without a comma are seen. In formal writing, many place a comma before a following fordi-clause: Jeg kommer ..., fordi .... In everyday writing, omitting it is common: Jeg kommer ... fordi .... Important: you must use a comma before coordinating for: ..., for det ...

Why is it det er kø and not det er en kø?

Norwegian often omits the article with certain “there is” statements to express an unspecific or habitual situation: Det er kø ≈ “There’s a (the usual) line/there’s queuing.” You can say Det er en kø when you mean one concrete, countable queue you’re drawing attention to, but Det er kø is the idiomatic default for traffic-like phenomena (kø, trafikk, støy).

What are the forms of kø?

Indefinite singular: en kø
Definite singular: køen
Indefinite plural: køer
Definite plural: køene In practice, you’ll often hear bare kø after det er to mean “there’s queuing/there’s a line.”

Why use the preposition ved with rulletrappen? Could I use til, på, or i?

ved = “by/at/near” and focuses on location: kø ved rulletrappen (a line at the escalator).
til = “to/towards,” focusing on destination: kø til rulletrappen (a line for the escalator).
på = “on,” would mean “on the escalator” (usually wrong here).
i = “in,” not idiomatic for escalators in this sense. Both ved and til are common; choose depending on whether you emphasize place (ved) or destination (til).

Why is it the definite form rulletrappen (“the escalator”)?

Norwegian often uses the definite form for specific, contextually known places or objects (e.g., the particular escalator everyone uses at that station/mall). If you mean any escalator in general, you could say ved en rulletrapp, but here the definite feels natural.

What gender is rulletrapp, and why do I sometimes see rulletrappa?

Rulletrapp can be masculine or feminine in Bokmål:

Masculine: en rulletrapp – rulletrappen
Feminine: ei rulletrapp – rulletrappa Both are correct in Bokmål; many prefer the masculine. In Nynorsk, the feminine form (rulletrappa) is standard.

Can I move the cause to the front: “Because there’s often a line at the escalator, I come as early as possible”?

Yes:

Fordi det ofte er kø ved rulletrappen, kommer jeg så tidlig som mulig. When the subordinate clause comes first, place a comma after it. Note the main clause still follows the V2 rule: kommer is in second position after the fronted clause.

Could I put så tidlig som mulig at the end of the sentence?

Not naturally here. If you say: Jeg kommer fordi det ofte er kø ved rulletrappen så tidlig som mulig, it sounds like “as early as possible” modifies the wrong clause (“the line” or “the escalator”). Keep så tidlig som mulig close to kommer:

Best: Jeg kommer så tidlig som mulig fordi ...

Where does ofte go, and can I say fordi det er ofte kø?

In subordinate clauses, place adverbs like ofte/ikke before the verb: fordi det ofte er. So fordi det er ofte is not standard. In main clauses, you’d say Det er ofte kø (verb in second position, then adverb).

Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky words like kø, rulletrappen, and mulig?

kø: the vowel ø is rounded (like the vowel in French “bleu”).
mulig: u is fronted and rounded (close to German “ü”); stress the first syllable: MU-lig.
rulletrappen: stress on the first syllable of each part: RUL-le-TRAP-pen. Norwegian r is usually a tap or trill; consonants like pp are geminated (held slightly longer).